"Death, taxes and Jake Moody."
That's a direct quote from now-Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who spoke with The Athletic's Matt Barrows not long after the San Francisco 49ers used a third-round pick, No. 99 overall, on Moody in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Moody, who worked under Harbaugh when the two were together at Michigan, certainly earned his former head coach's endorsement, putting together a 2021 campaign that resulted in a Lou Groza award, given to the top placekicker in college football.
That certainly influenced the Niners' decision to make Moody the top-drafted specialist in 2023, too.
However, after two-plus tumultuous seasons with San Francisco, Moody is on the outs, waived after a disastrous Week 1 performance against the Seattle Seahawks and not too far removed from an epic meltdown during the second half of the 2024 season.
One can't help but think what Harbaugh's sentiments are about the topic.
Jim Harbaugh might have had last laugh with Jake Moody, 49ers
Granted, Harbaugh passionately stands by his players, both current and former. So, it's not as if the eccentric head coach is grinning in the wake of the Moody news.
However, the ever-competitive Harbaugh probably is at least smirking a bit when thinking about his former employer's failures here, especially considering his own controversial ending in the Bay Area back in January of 2015.
Sure, San Francisco's coaching staff has long changed since those days, and Harbaugh's former nemesis, general manager Trent Baalke, hasn't been in the picture for years.
But, it is the same ownership group. And CEO Jed York ultimately made the call to "mutually" part ways with Harbaugh, leaving the head coach searching for ways to find subtle vengeance against his old team.
In short, this exchange on Twitter/X might summarize how things could have played out, albeit in a humorous fashion:
Lynch and Shanahan texting Jim today pic.twitter.com/2mtfwh8O03
— Brian Renick (@brenick77) September 9, 2025
The 49ers' botch job on Moody, both drafting him and continuing to rely upon him despite the kicker's struggles, at least opens the door for discussion.
While Harbaugh would likely never come out and say he's glad it didn't work, it's at least provocative to think he feels slightly better about the Niners' failure on that particular front.